Snugpak – TravelPak 3

7.0
7.0 score
[Editors rating (7.0)] = (Gearweare.net) score (7.0)/10

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Editor rating: 7.0 / 10
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Editor's Pros & Cons
Pros
  • Comfortable design
  • Great value
Cons
  • A bit restrictive at times

Review

There's a lady who lives in Rurrenebaque, a small town in the forests of Bolivia, who has seen and smelt things so hideous, so repulsive that few people would be able to stomach them. You see, she has a washing machine, and she offers to clean the laundry of travelers who have come back from adventures in the Jungle. And most of these travelers are, frankly, unprepared for long slogs without proper washing facilities and as a result... they stink. I know, I've been one of them, and it was so repulsive that I was ashamed to be handing the poor woman a bag of fetid clothes and my cheap Peruvian sleeping-bag.

Snugpak understands this lady's woes, and the fact that a sleeping bag which has to accompany you on warmer climate adventures is going to start to hum, so they've developed a line of bags which have features to ward off the jungle and the stench.

The Travelpak line is a selection of 5 sleeping bags with different warmth ratings, but all with antimicrobial and antibacterial treatments to stop your sweat from building up a nice stinky breeding ground. And they're made from a highly breathable and wicking fabric which means you shouldn't get too clammy in the heat.

I went for the Travelpak 3, because I'm not in Bolivia any more, and it's flippin' cold at the top of the Picos mountains in Spain - where I did some of the testing on this bag.

It's a mummy bag, but not too constrictive or tight at the feet, and it has a comfortably thick and snug feeling when you're in it. The hood is large but can be cynched down if you get chilly, and there's a simple baffle to trap warm air in the bag.

Despite that, because it's a synthetic fill, you can crush it down to a measly 22 x 26cm in its own compression bag, which makes it ideal for motorbike touring or adventure travel.

The 3 (spring, summer, autumn) season bag is rated to -3C for comfort, which is to say that you'll be OK sleeping in PJs when it dips to freezing. They also do a 1, 2 and 4 season version if your priority is weight or warmth.

The Travelpak's party piece is a mesh covering for your entire face. It means that the mosquitoes which buzz around in your tent/hostel can't make a meal of your mush or crawl in during the day. And actually I found it really comforting when I had to sleep in my car - so people couldn't see me sleeping. Possibly a weird paranoia, but hey ho.

The Travelpak 3 weighs in at 1500g, which to my mind is absolutely fine. Sure, you can get lighter bags for this rating, but this bag has a killer cost of under £50 which makes it a good deal.

I like the Travelpak a lot. We live in a cold old cottage up a big hill and it's been kept in the unheated living-room where it functions as a cosy place to crawl in to when watching a movie. And we've had it for several months now, unwashed, and it isn't even starting to stink - which is impressive.